1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input device for an injection molding machine having an input touch panel fitted over a screen of a display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as an input device for an injection molding machine, there has been known a touch type input device for an injection molding machine as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. Heisei 2(1990)-103114. With such touch type input device, all input operation can be performed through an input touch panel fitted over a screen of a display device.
On the other hand, as another example of the conventional input device, in which the touch type input device is applied, there has been known an input device 50, in which the touch type input device is combined with an independently provided switch panel as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.
The shown input device 50 includes a first input device 50a and a second input device 50b. The first input device 50a includes an input touch panel 52 fitted over a screen 51v of a display device. The first input device 50a is designed such that various key pattern portions 53a, 53b, 53c, . . . displayed on the screen 51v as shown in FIG. 6 may be selected for touching by a finger, and then, the XY coordinates of the touched position on the input touch panel 52 are detected by a not shown controller.
In the case of the injection molding machine, there are a wide variety of items to be set, such as pressure, speed, position, temperature and so forth. A ten key portion 54, commonly used for setting various molding conditions and so forth, a function key portion 55, including a screen selector key and so forth; and a cursor key portion 56; are provided in another independent switch panel 57 formed with a membrane sheet switch or so forth. This switch panel 57, is arranged at an adjacent position to the screen 51V to constitute the second input device 50b. 
However, in such input device 50, since the second input device 50b formed with the switch panel 57 in addition to the first input device 50a, cost is inherently risen for necessity of use of the switch panel 57 of membrane sheet switch or so forth. Furthermore, since the number and layout of the key switches in the switch panel 57 is fixed, addition and deletion of the key and/or modification of the key switch layout is not possible to cause a problem in poor general applicability and evolvability. In addition, while the input touch panel 52 of the first input device 50a requires only soft toughing for input, the switch panel 57 of the second switch device 50b requires depression with relatively large force to cause different touching feeling in operation to degrade operation feeling.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an input device for an injection molding machine which can make the separate switch panel, such as membrane sheet switch or the like unnecessary to realize significant reduction of cost.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an input device for an injection molding machine which can provide uniform key touching feeling over all keys in operation and thus improve operation feeling in use.
In order to accomplish the foregoing object, an input device for an injection molding machine, according to the present invention, having an input touch panel fitted over a display screen, comprises a panel extension portion extended from the input touch panel and located out of the display screen, and at least one key portion having at least specific key, the at least one key portion being displayed on the panel extension portion.
By this, in the panel extension portion to be a part of the input touch panel, a ten-key portion, a function key portion and a cursor key portion are provided. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to provide a separate switch panel, such as a membrane sheet switch or the like. Also, since the ten-key portion, the function key portion and cursor key portion can be displayed by printing or so forth, addition, deletion of keys and modification of layout can be facilitated.